LEAMINGTON’S MALIA DILANA AFONSO IS THIS WEEK’S FEATURED #SPOTLIGHT ARTIST. THE #SPOTLIGHT IS HEARD DAILY AT 9:30AM DURING XS MORNINGS WITH JAY & ROBYN!
Malia Dilana Afonso is an incredible talent, ready to be discovered.
From Leamington, this 14-year-old vocalist has a story as amazing as her natural gifts.
Malia was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and was known as “the singing baby” for her constant vocalizing while at the orphanage.
Adopted by a Portuguese-Canadian family, Malia began performing on stage at the age of 4 at the Leamington Portuguese Club.
Fluent in English, Portuguese and French, Malia also sings in all three language and is self-taught on the keyboard, which she uses to write her original material.
Afonso has a 10-year-old “sister”, also adopted from Ethiopia. Through DNA testing, the adoptive family of Malia’s later found out her adopted sister is a distant cousin.
Malia is hoping for a career on stage as a performer or actress. With many awards to her name across southern Ontario, she has played many lead roles in musical theatre including Belle in Beauty and the Beast and was a EuroVision “Festival da Cancao” Finalist for RTP Portugal in 2018.
Malia had a brief stint of social media fame when one of her original songs was shared by Jennifer Garner on Insta stories, garnering more than 80,000 views.
